Clasp



Jan. 3, 1939. E. c H. EsARNETTEv CLASP Filed May 24, 193s INVENTOR 755277720 fifa/7m Ba/'nage @ya q Y ATTQRNr-:YS

WITNESSES Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This inventionrelates to clasps and more particularly to an improved clasp adapted to be secured to the under surface of the shoulder portion of a womans garment and arranged to engage and hold in place a shoulder strap.

An object of the invention is to provide a clasp which may be secured toa garment and positioned to be disengageably connected to the shoulder strap.

l0 Another object of the invention is to provide a clasp wherein the movable clamping plate is formed of a pair of spring arms coacting with a stationary plate for holding a movable plate in clamping position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp for holding the shoulder strap in place wherein the clamping plates have smooth edges or roughened edges.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. l is a perspective view of part of a gure displaying a garment .and an embodiment of the invention connected with the garment;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the clasp shown in Fig. 1, the same being shown in connection with part of a garment;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the clasp shown in Fig. 2 when the same has been moved to its fully open position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view through the clasp on the line 4--4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the clasp shown in Fig. 2 when the same is in functioning position;

Fig. 6 is an end View of the clasp as illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the end opposite to that shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 4 but showing the clasp with smooth clamping edges instead of corrugated edges.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numeral, i indicates a garment of any desired kind and 2 a shoulder strap of the kind commonly used by women for supporting certain undergarments.

The clasp 3 is adapted to be secured to the garment l and the securing means may be of any desired kind, as for instance, a suitable stitching d, as illustrated in Fig. 4. As illustrated in Fig. 2 the clasp is connected with the garment at the shoulder seam 5 and the stitching 4 extends through only the turned-back edges 6 and 7, but if desired the clasp could be secured to some other part of the garment and also if desired the stitching could extend entirely through the garment although the arrangement shown` in Fig. 2 is considered preferable.

The clasp 3 is provided with a stationary plate 8 held in place on the garment by stitching 4 or other means, and with a movable or clamp- 51 ing piate S hingedly connected to the stationary plate 3. Tt will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3 that the plate 3 is provided with a number of apertures i@ for receiving the thread or stitching Il. The stationary plate 8 is provided with .a flat 10 bottom i i and a pair of upturned edges l2 and i3. These edges are shown as being roughened or scalloped in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, but they could be made smooth as indicated by the numeral I4 in Fig. 8. These edges are adapted to grip the 16 shoulder strap 2, as indicated especially in Fig.

4. At the right-hand end, as shown in Fig. 3, the bottom i! is provided with a. pair of upstandingr end members i5 and I 6, whereby an opening il is left therebetween for receiving the de- 20 pending extension i3, as shown in Fig. 4. At the end opposite opening Il there are provided inturned substantially triangular shaped extensions iS and 2). This end may be termed the hinge end of the plate as the extensions I9 and 25 2%) form a combination pintle and cam structure coacting with the curled ends or knuckles 2| and 22 of the movable plate 9. It will be noted that the movable plate 9 is provided with upturned side edges 23 and 24 which are shown as scal- 30 loped but they could be made smooth as indicated by the numeral 25 in Fig. 8. The bottom or body 25 of the movable plate 9 is provided with a comparatively large aperture 2'! merging into a retracted slot 28, whereby resilient sections 29 35 and 33 are presented. These sections are curled at the ends forming the knuckles 2| and 22, and these knuckles t over the combined pintle and cam members I 9 and 20, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby a resilient action is provided which will 40 hold the movable plate 9 open or fully closed and in clamping action.

When the plate 9 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the right so that it will assume the position shown in Fig. 4, the sections 45 29 and 30 will yield or spring inwardly and then will move outwardly as the plate 9 moves to its clamping position. In this way there is a constant resilient tension for causing the side edges 23 and 24 to press the shoulder strap 2 against 50 the side edges i2 and I3. This is true whether the side edges are scalloped or smooth.

From Fig. 3 it will also be observed that the body 2E of the movable plate 9 is provided with a short extension which acts as a nger hold 55 whereby the movable member may be readily grasped and swung away from the stationary plate 8. It will also be noted that the stationary plate 8 is secured to the garment I and, consequently, if part of the finger or thumb is placed under the extension 3l said extension with they entire movable plate 9 may be swung on its hinge or pivotal mounting so as to release the strap 2. A reverse movement will readily cause the clasp to grip or clamp the strap, as shown in Figs. l, 4 and 5. It is understood, of course, that the plate 9 is made from resilient material, as for instance metal, and that the upstanding edges l2 and I3 are suiiciently stii to resist spreading movement when the plate 9 is swung from one position to another.

I claim:

1. A clasp of the character described comprising a stationary plate formed with openings for receiving securing means whereby the plate may be secured to a garment, said plate being provided with a pair of upstanding side walls and a pair of trunnions at one end, said trunnions extending toward each other and constructed to present a pair of cam surfaces, and a movable plate coacting with said stationary plate, said movable plate having a pair of upstanding side edges adapted to pinch an article against the side edges of the stationary plate when the clasp is closed, a pair of resilient sections, and a tubular knuckle on each section, said tubular knuckles tting over said trunnions, said knuckles being substantially elliptical so that said cam surfaces will function to resilientl'y hold the movable member in either of its extreme positions.

2i. A clasp of the character described comprising a stationary plate and a movable plate, said stationary plate having at one end a pair of triangular shaped trunnions facing each other, said movable plate having a pair of resilient sections merging at their ends into tubular members which have been attened to present an almost elliptical opening, saidttubular members fitting over said trunnions whereby said movable member is resiliently held in each of two extreme positions.

3. A clasp of the character described comprising a stationary plate adapted to be secured to a garment, said stationary plate being provided with a pair of trunnions facing each other, each trunnion having a substantially A-shaped cam, the cam faces of each cam merging at one point and arranged in a plane parallel to said stationary plate, and a movable clamping plate formed with a body slit from one end toward the opposite end to form a pair of resilient sections, said sections having knuckle members into which said trunnions extend, each of said knuckle members being formed with a substantially elliptical opening with the major axis thereof substantially in a plane parallel with the movable clamping plate so that the portions of the knuckle members may ride on said cam faces as said movable clamping plate is swung from one position to another whereby said movable clamping plate is resiliently held in either of two extreme positions.

EMMA C. HANSEN BARNE'I'IE. 

